A study by Business Travel Show Europe (BTSA) reveals that as many as half of all LGBTQ+ travellers surveyed have experienced discrimination while travelling, while two thirds of all travel programmes make no provision for this community.
Bonnie Smith, GM Corporate Traveller, says this oversight can have serious consequences for a queer business traveller. Depending on where they need to travel to, they could face harassment, discrimination and even be in contravention of local laws. Therefore it is imperative that companies proactively develop strong diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, including for travel. This should be part of their duty of care for travel.
“A travel policy will already include a duty of care that contain a number of common-sense points for dealing with certain risks. However, risk assessments should proactively cover the specific concerns of LGBQT+ travellers so that you can take safety measures or the traveller can decide if they still want to visit a destination where they may face discrimination,” says Smith.
The following four risks are ones that the LGBTQ+ community are vulnerable to:
1 Uncomfortable situations at security checkpoints
Border crossings can be especially fraught for the transgender community, as some countries refuse entry to people whose documented gender does not match their appearance. This can lead to body searches and being detained for questioning. A travel policy that educates travellers about their rights could help make these situations a less uncomfortable. For example, transgender individuals may have the right to request a private search with a witness of their choice.
2 Being “out” is against the law
It is illegal to be gay in more than 70 countries. Companies should educate and counsel their employees before travelling on what to expect and what to do in case of emergencies. Travellers need to be well versed on local laws, customs and traditions so that can avoid inadvertently contravening any of these.
3 Violence and discrimination
Unfortunately, LGBQT+ individua’s are often the target of hate crimes and discrimination in more conservative countries. This can include verbal or physical assaults, a lack of support from the authorities should they wish to report a crime, or even being arrested. Again, companies and their staff need to be aware of these risks, and manage them responsibly.
4 Inclusive healthcare can be hard to access
LGBT-inclusive healthcare may not be available at all destinations. Organisations can work with LGBQT+ travellers to prepare them for different levels of care by creating an action plan in case their needs cannot be met. For example, health insurance can be purchased to cover emergencies so that they can be flown home or to a third country for treatment if needed.
“It is important to provide honest, unbiased travel advice that is consistent for all travellers and that takes into account and accommodates diversity so that everyone’s needs are met.”
“It is important to provide honest, unbiased travel advice that is consistent for all travellers and that takes into account and accommodates diversity so that everyone’s needs are met. By ensuring that all employees receive the same risk assessments before travel, they can access the knowledge they need to travel safely for business, regardless of their personal risk profile. Also, exclude those vendors from your travel programmes that do not reflect your DE &I values or policies,” Smith concludes.
Discover the best and worst destinations for LGBTQ+ travellers in 2022 here.
